Why did the Battle of Lake Trasimene lead Rome to use the Fabian strategy?

The Battle of Lake Trasimene in 217 BCE was a catastrophic defeat for Rome, resulting in the loss of at least 15,000 Roman soldiers and the death of the consul Gaius Flaminius. The engagement demonstrated that Hannibal was a formidable and tactically superior enemy capable of orchestrating massive ambushes.1

Following this trauma, Rome realized that Hannibal was best avoided in direct battle. This led to the appointment of Quintus Fabius Maximus Verrucosus as dictator, who initiated the Fabian strategy—a policy of nonengagement and slow attrition. By maneuvering through hilly terrain where Hannibal’s cavalry was ineffective, Fabius sought to harass raiding parties and cut off supply lines rather than risking the Roman army in another decisive, potentially disastrous, head-on confrontation. This cautious approach provided Rome with the necessary time to recover its strength after the losses sustained at Trasimene.12